Stone Cold
by August08
Summary: Buried Alive challenge fic. While on a trip with April and Casey, Raph and Don are captured by a mysterious entity and buried alive. Leo and Mike only have eight hours to find them before they run out of air. It's a race against time and Death.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: This is done as a challenge fic from Stealthy Stories. As always, this story's fate rests in the hands of the readers.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Turtles, no matter how many times I wish upon the wishing star, they will never be mine.

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><p>He didn't know what had woken him up first, the cold or the laboured breathing. Why was it so unbelievably cold? He couldn't remember the lair getting this cold. And he knew for a fact that his hammock wasn't supposed to be rock hard.<p>

With a groan, Raphael tried to sit up, only to hit his head against a hard surface inches above him. He fell back down, rubbing his head. He looked up, but couldn't see anything. With a shaky hand, Raphael reached up, his skin brushing against cold stone. He reached over to his right, his hand coming to rest on the same cold surface a few inches beside him. However, when he stretched his hand out to his left, he touched flesh. He pulled back when whatever he had just touched moved. It gave off a pained moan.

"Donny?" Raphael whispered.

"Raph?" Donatello whispered back. "What happened? Where are we?"

Raphael shrugged, even though he knew Donatello couldn't see him. "That's what I'm tryin' to figure out," he answered.

Donatello tried to push himself up, but he came up short when his shell hit rock. He collapsed back on his stomach. He could feel himself begin to panic. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. Panicking never solved anything. He needed his mind clear and focused in order to figure out what had happened.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Donatello asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Raphael was silent for a few moments. Just when Donatello thought his brother wouldn't answer, Raphael spoke.

"Nothin'," came the reply.

"Nothing?" Donatello echoed.

"Nothin'," Raphael repeated. "I can't remember anythin'."

Donatello glanced down at where he assumed his hands were. It was so dark, wherever they were, he couldn't even see his hands that were no doubt just inches from his face. What had happened to them? He tried to recall the last few moments leading up to this point, but like Raphael, he drew a blank. Donatello put his forehead against his hands and closed his eyes. The cold was starting to get to him.

"Donny? You still awake?" Raphael asked.

"Y-yeah," Donatello replied as a violent shiver attacked his body.

"What are we gonna do? We don't know where we are and we don't know where Leo and Mike are."

Donatello's eyes snapped open. How could he have forgotten Leonardo and Michelangelo? He silently prayed that they were safe and that nothing had happened to them. The silence was broken by Raphael's heavy breathing. Donatello couldn't blame him. Hibernation was quickly setting in. The purple masked turtle reached out and touched the cold rock that encased him and his brother. How had they gotten here? Wherever "here" was. The turtle closed his eyes and focused on his breathing again.

_Breathe in...breathe out...breathe in...breathe out,_ Donatello kept repeating to himself. _Think about something else. Take your mind off of your situation, for now. Like Master Splinter always says, 'Clear your mind and an opportunity will present itself'. _He tapped the stone, hearing the small "clink" as his knuckles connected with the hard surface. _Where's the opportunity when you're trapped in a stone container in an unknown location?_

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><p>Donatello opened his eyes and looked over in the direction he knew Raphael was in. His hand crept across the floor of the prison until his fingers brushed up against his brother's shell. Raphael was trapped on his back, the most vulnerable position a turtle, mutated or not, could be in. Donatello slipped into doctor mode and began assessing his brother for any injuries. Though the container, or whatever it was, was freezing, Donatello could feel the heat rising from Raphael's body.<p>

The red masked turtle snorted and stirred when Donatello's fingers brushed up against the back of his neck. However, he relaxed and fell back to sleep. Donatello frowned when he felt the rough skin on the back of Raphael's neck. The skin was raised slightly, like he had been burned by a cattle brander. Donatello silently prayed that that wasn't what caused the burns.

Satisfied that Raphael's upper body wasn't too badly injured, apart from the burns on his neck and a few scrapes, Donatello awkwardly bent so that he could reach his sibling's legs. As soon as he touched Raphael's left thigh, the older of the two jerked and let out a small cry of pain. Donatello felt his heart drop when he felt a warm, sticky substance ooze between his fingers. He heard Raphael curse under his breath.

"Warn me next time, brainiach. That hurts."

"Raph, you're bleeding," Donatello pointed out. "How's your other leg?"

Shifting to the best of his abilities, Raphael reached down and touched his right leg. A sharp pain shot up his leg. But, other than that, he couldn't feel any blood. He determined that his leg was either severly sprained or broken.

"Raph?"

"There's no blood," Raphael announced. "But it hurts to touch." He tried wiggling his toes, but hissed when it sent another wave of pain through his leg. "I think it's broken."

Donatello nodded, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. "Can you wiggle your toes?" he asked.

Raphael shook his head, even though Donatello couldn't see the motion. "It hurts."

More scenarios shot through Donatello's mind. "Can you move your leg at all?"

"What part of, 'I think it's broken' didn't you get, Einstein?" Raphael snapped.

Donatello would've moved back if his shell hadn't hit the wall so suddenly. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'm only trying to keep you from dying."

Raphael put a hand over his eyes and sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, bro. I just don't like bein' cooped up in this...thing, and not knowin' where we are."

Donatello placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sure Leo and Mikey are looking for us," he assured him. "But, in the mean time, we have to try and conserve our energy and our air. I don't know how much air we were given, so I can't determine how long we'll be able to last."

Raphael swallowed. He didn't like the thought of being trapped in a confined space for a prolonged amount of time. Already he was going stir crazy. He wasn't meant to be locked up; it was dangerous for one's health if they attempted to cage him. Leonardo sported a few broken bones after cornering him with no escape route. He took out anything or anyone that tried to keep him pinned down. Raphael took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down. He let his hand fall to his side. Seconds later, he frowned. Raphael reached up again and touched his right side. His belt bulged out a bit.

"Hey, Donny."

"Hmm?"

"Guess what I have," Raphael said.

Before Donatello could answer, Raphael's face lit up in a blue light. His heart leaped. Raphael still had his shell cell. Donatello grabbed the device and kissed it. Raphael scrunched up his nose.

"Ew. Donny, I have to use that," he complained. However, his disgust quickly dropped when Donatello disappeared into darkness. "Donny?"

"We're in trouble," Donatello said gravely. "The tracking chip is destroyed and the battery's almost dead."

"We can still call Leo and Mike, can't we?" Raphael asked, failing to hide the anixety in his voice.

Donatello opened the shell cell again and examined it. "Yeah, but it can't be very long. There's just enough power left for one call."

"How much power do the shell cells have?"

"More than normal cell phones. But, the cold is quickly sapping the power." Donatello turned the device over in his hand so that he was looking at the bottom. "And, it looks like yours has been tampered with."

Donatello shifted and turned the shell cell towards Raphael. His brother shielded his eyes from the sudden light. The light revealed Donatello's earlier assessment. Raphael's upper body suffered no more than just a few cuts and scrapes. His legs, however, were a different story. His left leg was more red than green due to a large gash that had been torn in his thigh. The blood had already stopped and the cold had caused the blood to clot, making a sloppy stitching job. Raphael's right leg was bent at an awkward angle and Donatello finally confirmed that his leg was indeed broken.

Raphael took the shell cell and turned the light on Donatello. The younger of the two was cut and bruised, but otherwise, okay. Raphael reached over and firmly bent Donatello's head down towards the floor. He noticed burn marks on his brother's neck. The skin was raised a bit, as if a cattle brander had been used. He reached back and touched his own neck. He felt the raised lines of whatever had been used to burn him had been placed. Raphael closed the shell cell to save power. He would try calling for help when he could think more clearly.

"Raphie," Donatello whispered.

"Yeah, Donny?" Raphael asked.

"I'm sorry."

Raphael frowned. "For what?" There was a short pause. "Donny?"

"For almost giving up," Donatello answered.

Raphael smiled and rubbed his brother's head. "Get some sleep, Donny-boy. I'll wake ya up in five minutes."

With the assurance that his brother was watching over him, Donatello closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift into a deep sleep.

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><p>Let me know what you think. Reviews are welcome, flames are not.<p>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. Your reviews are greatly appreciated and are truly inspirational.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one

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><p>The dial tone was an insult to the already throbbing injury. The rhythmic beeping was just the phone's way of laughing at him. Closing the shell cell and hanging his head, Leonardo let the phone drop to the kitchen counter. He buried his face in his folded arms and sighed heavily. The resort suite was deathly silent, save for the popping of the wood in the fireplace. April and Casey were still out with the search party. It had been six hours since the avalanche; six hours since they lost contact with Raphael and Donatello.<p>

This wasn't how he had pictured their vacation. He had pictured a fun time with family and friends on a nice skiing trip. When they first arrived at the resort no one gave them a second glance since the brothers were dressed in heavy snow suits. They finally had a chance to mingle among other humans. Then, as Raphael would have said, the old turtle luck kicked in and trouble sparked. The last thing Leonardo could remember was a slight tremor and someone shouting, "Avalanche!"

Six hours ago. Six long, agonizing hours. Leonardo looked up and glanced over his shoulder. Michelangelo was curled up in the armchair closet to the fireplace, his eyes trained on the dancing flames. Leonardo hated seeing his care-free brother in such a state. He wasn't Michelangelo when he worried himself sick.

Leonardo picked up the shell cell again and redialed Donatello's number. The orange masked turtle broke his watch on the flame to look at his brother. From his point of view, Leonardo almost looked human. He wore a thick, pale blue turtleneck sweater and a pair of baggy sweat pants. Michelangelo's eyes drifted down to the orange sweater and grey sweat pants he wore. When the warning had first gone out that there was an avalanche, they had done a fair job of out-running it. However, the snow had other plans and had decided to take the brothers for a little ride down the mountain. Even with the snow suits they had been wearing, the cold still managed to send them into the first stages of hibernation. April insisted that Leonardo and Michelangelo wear warm clothes until she was sure that they wouldn't go into hibernation or get hypothermia.

_It sucks being cold-blooded,_ Michelangelo thought bitterly._ If it wasn't for that, we'd be out there with April and Casey looking for Raph and Don._

April had given them strict orders not to leave the room. Two missing turtles was bad enough. So, here they sat. Silent and vigilant. Leonardo closed the shell cell again.

"Have you tried Raph's number?" Michelangelo suggested, turning his gaze back to the fire.

"All I get is a dial tone," Leonardo answered. "Either Raph's lost his shell cell or he has it turned off."

Michelangelo moaned in agony. "This is so not fair," he whined. "Why is it always us?"

Leonardo got up from his spot on the bar chair at the counter and went over to sit with his brother. He flopped down on the couch across from Michelangelo and also stared into the crackling fire. His heart began to ache. He wanted his brothers back. Michelangelo had a point. Why did all the misfortune seem to land on them?

"Old turtle luck," Leonardo grumbled. "That's what Raph would say. 'The old turtle luck working true to form'."

Michelangelo chuckled. "You're impersonation of Raph needs work, dude," he commented. "You've got him all wrong."

Leonardo shrugged. "I don't have the skill to imitate Raph's accent," he defended.

A small smile crept across Michelangelo's tired face. "I don't think anyone does." His smile faded. "Where are they, Leo? Where are our bros?"

Leonardo's own smile dropped and he sighed. "I wish I knew, Mikey. I wish I knew."

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><p>Donatello moaned tiredly when someone began to shake him. He swatted the hand away. "Five more minutes."<p>

"I gave ya five more minutes five minutes ago," he heard Raphael grumble.

Donatello opened his eyes, but he was met by pitch darkness. He went to push himself up, but his shell against stone abruptly reminded him of where he was. He fell back to his stomach and moaned. This place was already growing old. A darker shadow beside him moved. At least he wasn't alone in this stone prison.

"What's wrong, Raph?" Donatello asked.

"I'm tryin' to figure out what happened to my neck," Raphael answered.

"It was burned," Donatello told him.

Raphael snorted. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," he grunted. "I already knew that. But, what I don't know is what caused it?"

Donatello shrugged. "Don't we have more important things to worry about?" he asked. "Like, figuring out how we got here? And how to get out?"

His brother hit his fist against the ceiling. "Can you break through solid rock?" Raphael suggested.

Donatello opened his mouth to answer, but Raphael cut him off with a yawn. The purple clad ninja just shook his head and closed his mouth again.

"Have your ten minute nap, Raph. I'll stand guard."

Raphael chuckled before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Soon, the only thing keeping Donatello company were his thoughts and Raphael's snoring. He reached back and touched his neck. The raised skin confused him. A normal burn wouldn't leave a distinguished pattern. Feelling around the floor, Donatello found the shell cell, opened it and turned it on. Light filled the small space. The solid stone compartment taunted him. Ignoring the stone, Donatello turned towards Raphael. Thankfully, his brother's head was tilted to the right, giving him access to the back of his neck.

At first it was difficult to see the design through the red and swollen skin. Moving closer, Donatello was finally able to pick out the pattern. His heart sank when he discovered it was indeed a brand that had been burned into his brother's neck, and no doubt he had the same on his own neck, as well. The brand consisted of a two scythes crossed over each other with a hooded head in the middle of them. The initials G.R. were in the middle of the hood where the face would be.

Donatello turned the shell cell off again and closed it. He knew they were running out of time and air. It was important that they contact their brothers. But, what could they say? That they were in some kind of sealed up stone box? Donatello couldn't even remember how he and Raphael had gotten in the box in the first place. The shell cell was dying and they needed more information. Donatello blinked. Information. His heart began to pound as he turned the shell cell back on. He knew what he was going to say. If Leonardo and Michelangelo could figure out where the brand came from, then they would find whoever, or whatever, was responsible and hopefully find out where the box was located.

_But, that could take too long,_ Donatello began to reason. _We'd probably already be dead by the time they find us. I still have no idea about our air problem. _

He looked over at his brother. Raphael needed medical attention. He was suffering from blood loss and Donatello wondered if they could die of hypothermia. That was one experiment he didn't want to test. Opening the shell cell, Donatello began going through the numbers Raphael had on speed dial. He prayed and hoped that the battery would last long enough for him to get the message to his brothers.

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><p>Let me know what you think. Worth continuing? Reviews are welcome, flames are not.<p>


	3. Chapter 3

It seemed the world had grown dimmer in the aftermath of the avalanche. April wandered around, looking for any signs of her two missing friends. She had lost track of how long they had been searching. It seemed like a lifetime. April looked up at the setting sun. Clearly time and nature were not on their side. She began walking over to where Casey was roaming around, stabbing the snow with a long, metal rod.

"Any luck?" April asked.

Casey shook his head. "This is where Leo said he lost sight of Raph and Don, but there hasn't been any sign of life."

"Maybe they were swept further downhill," April suggested.

"Worth a try," Casey said.

The friends carefully made their way further down the slope with Casey randomly stabbing the snow. It was like he was somehow punishing the snow for taking his two best friends and demanding that it give them back. However, the snow was relentless. It gave up no secrets, nor did it give up the location of the missing turtles.

"I feel so lost, Casey," April spoke softly, wrapping her arms around herself.

Casey put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Hey, we'll find 'em," he reassured her. "They've been through worse."

April nodded. "I know, but..." Her voice trailed off. "I can't even imagine what Leo and Mikey are going through."

Casey was about to speak when a dog's bark cut him off. The friends hurried over to where the bark had originated. When they got there, the canine was digging away at the snow. April and Casey looked at each other before stepping closer. One of the searchers knelt down and gently pushed the dog away. He reached into the shallow hole and pulled out a cloth bag. Frowning, he stood up and gave the bag a slight shake. There was the clink of metal against metal. Casey walked forward and held out his hand.

"Can I see that?" he asked.

The man handed Casey the bag and the vigilante opened it. He reached inside and horror washed over his face. April came up to him and placed a hand on his arm.

"Casey? What is it?" she wanted to know.

Slowly, Casey brought out his hand. April took in a sharp, deep breath. In Casey's hand was a red hilted sai. Raphael's sai. April felt her eyes and throat begin to burn as Casey reached into the bag again. When he took it out he held the other sai, as well as half of a bo staff. Purple cloth still hung limply around the center where the staff had been broken. April took the weapons and held them close. Casey put his hand into the bag one last time. He brought out the second piece of Donatello's bo staff and a brown envelope. On the front of the envelope was an ominous insignia. It was two scythes crossed over each other with a hooded head in the middle. The initials G.R. was printed in the middle of the hood where the face would be. Below the symbol were two words that made Casey's and April's heart plummet.

"The Turtles"

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><p>Leonardo snapped awake when he heard someone at the door. The door opened and April and Casey walked in. The turtle in blue sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked over at Michelangelo who was out cold in the armchair. Leonardo got up and stretched.<p>

"Did you find anything?" he asked the humans.

Neither one answered. Leonardo fought back the panic that was quickly rising in his chest. He walked over to his friends. April was hugging a cloth bag to her chest and it was clear that she had been crying. Leonardo looked to Casey for an explanation. All he got was a brown envelope with a strange insigna on it. Below that were the words, "The Turtles". With a shaky hand, Leonardo reached up and took the envelope. He went back to the couch and sat down. By that time, Michelangelo was starting to wake up. He reached his arms above his head and stretched.

"I needed that," he sighed. He looked up to see Leonardo on the couch staring at an odd brown envelope. "What's that, Leo?"

Without answering, Leonardo opened the package and turned it upside down. A demolished shell cell fell into his hand. Any fatigue that Michelangelo felt was instantly gone. The brothers looked up at each other. Placing the remains of the shell cell on the coffee table, Leonardo reached into the envelope and pulled out a single piece of paper. Michelangelo got up and relocated to the spot beside his brother in blue. Leonardo opened the folded note and began to read.

_Dear Turtles,_

_I know who you are and what you are capable of._  
><em>I have been studying you for a while now and have decided it was time to test what I have observed.<em>  
><em>Rest assured that you have not been my first victims.<em>  
><em>There have been many before you and many more to come.<em>  
><em>I am not looking for a ransom, nor am I allowing negotiations for the release of your brothers.<em>  
><em>If you want to see your brothers alive you will do as I say and nothing more.<em>

_Five hours ago I placed your brothers in a container somewhere on the mountain._  
><em>You have eight hours to find them before they run out of air.<em>  
><em>This will test every bit of your resolve and skills.<em>  
><em>Your human companions are not allowed to aid you in any way.<em>  
><em>If I find out, and be warned, I will, you can kiss any chance of ever finding your brothers, dead or alive, goodbye.<em>

_Happy hunting._

"Happy hunting?" Michelangelo repeated the last line. "Is this guy wacko?"

"What does the note say?" Casey asked.

Leonardo held up the paper and Casey took it. He buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily. Where were they even supposed to start? The mountain was huge. There was no way they would be able to search every part of it within eight hours. And on top of that, it was already dark.

"We can't help you?" Casey roared.

Leonardo opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when his shell cell started to ring. He took it out and opened it.

"Hello?"

"You have no idea how wonderful your voice sounds right now."

Leonardo's eyes widened. "Donny?" he cried. Michelangelo, April and Casey shot their gazes towards him. "Donny, you're...you're...are you okay?"

"It depends on what your definition of 'okay' is," Donatello answered.

"You're still breathing, right?" Leonardo asked, putting the shell cell on speaker phone.

"Obviously," Donatello replied.

"Then, you're okay." Donatello chuckled. Leonardo smiled. "Where are you?"

There was silence for a moment. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask that question."

Leonardo frowned. "Why not?"

Another pause. "Because, I don't know," came the reply.

Casey wrapped an arm around April and pulled her close as she began to cry. This was torture.

"I don't have long to talk, Leo, so listen closely," Donatello said. "I need you to find info on a certain brand."

"What brand?" Michelangelo asked.

Donatello smiled when he heard his little brother's voice. "It's...uh...two scythes over lapping one another."

Leonardo picked up the envelope and looked at the insigna. "With a hooded head and G.R in the middle of it?" he guessed.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Donatello asked.

"Because we got a letter that had the same symbol on it," Michelangelo told him.

In the background, they heard a familiar grunt. "Is Raph with you?" Casey asked.

"Donny, who are ya talkin' to?" Raphael's voice came through the speaker.

"Raphie!" Michelangelo chimed.

"Hey, Mike," Raphael replied, his voice straining.

Leonardo immediately began to worry. "Are you okay, Raph?" he asked.

"Don't worry about me, Fearless. I'm fine," Raphael said. "The cold's starting to get to me, that's all."

"So, you know what to do, right?" Donatello asked.

"Yeah," Leonardo answered. "But, Don, are you sure you're..." The line suddenly went dead. "Hello? Donny? Raph?"

On the other end, Donatello thought he was going to have a heart attack. "Leo?" The phone sprang back to life. "Le...?"

"Tsk, tsk, Turtles," a haunting voice said on both shell cells. "Are you sure you have time to be chatting, Blue?"

Leonardo tightened his grip around the device in his hand. "Where are our brothers?" he yelled.

Donatello and Raphael looked at each other, both wearing identical terrified expressions.

"Who are you?" Donatello breathed.

"If you get out of this alive, maybe I'll tell you," the voice said. It was followed by an evil laugh. "Tick tock. Tick tock. Time's a' wastin', Blue. Your brothers are running out of air."

Leonardo and Michelangelo dashed for the door, grabbing their weapons along the way. Leonardo disconnected the speaker phone and put the shell cell to his ear.

"We will find you and end you," he hissed.

Another deep laugh. "I'll be waiting for you."

There was movement and for a second Leonardo thought the line was going to go dead. Then, the voice came back.

"Eight hours," it whispered.

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><p>Worth continuing? Let me know what you think. Reviews are welcome, flames are not.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Your reviews are truly inspirational and they help keep me writing.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one.

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><p>The shell cell lay lifeless on the floor by Donatello's head. He couldn't get the last message out of his mind. They had eight hours of air left. Eight hours of air, eight hours to live. After that, hypoxia would begin to set in. And after that...<p>

Donatello shook his head. He would not think about it. Leonardo and Michelangelo would find them in time. He knew they would. Raphael groaned in pain, bringing Donatello out of his thoughts. He reached over and touched his ill-tempered brother's arm. He resisted the urge to ask if he was okay. It would be a pointless question. Of course Raphael wasn't okay. He was slowly freezing to death, on top of suffering from blood lose.

"How are you holding up?" Donatello asked.

Raphael put a hand over his eyes. "I'm gettin' dizzy. And, I think I'm losin' feelin' in my legs."

Donatello swallowed hard. He reached down and touched Raphael's left thigh. He didn't move. In the dark, it was difficult to see the damage, but Donatello knew the signs of frost bite just by how the skin felt. The container was silent again, until Raphael's deep, labored breathing broke the quiet.

"Don't quit on me, Raph," Donatello whispered. "You can't leave me in here alone."

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><p>"Where are we even supposed to begin?" Michelangelo asked, waving his flashlight around the silent mountain.<p>

Leonardo looked at the clock on his shell cell. It had only been ten minutes since the last time he checked, however, it felt like an hour. The countdown he had programmed into the device did little to calm his frayed nerves. He wished the seconds counted up, not down. Sensing his brother's distress, Michelangelo walked over to him and took the shell cell.

"Maybe it's better if I held on to this," he noted.

Leonardo nodded in agreement. "Good idea," he said. He looked around, shining the light of the flashlight around the snow covered area. "I guess we start where we first lost sight of Raph and Don."

He led the way, Michelangelo following like his second shadow. After a while, they split up and started looking for clues. Sadly, the only thing they found were the footprints of the search team that had been in the area earlier. Growling in frustration, Leonardo shone the flashlight around. Michelangelo did the same, passing the light over a cluster of trees. He froze.

"Leo, I found something."

He hurried over to the trees with Leonardo right behind him. He ran up to the closet tree and placed his hand against the trunk. His gloved fingers slid over marks that he knew to be made by Raphael's sais. Leonardo surveyed the surrounding area. The light hit a few scattered pieces of wood. He bent down and picked them up. Slightly buried in the snow was a piece of purple cloth, no doubt from Donatello's bo staff.

"This is where they were taken," Leonardo announced, getting to his feet.

"And we know they didn't go down without a fight," Michelangelo added.

The brothers shone the lights around. Off in the distance Michelangelo noticed what looked like drag marks. He tapped Leonardo's arm and headed in the direction of the marks. The drag marks were accompanied by various sets of footprints. Leonardo bent down to examine the footprints more closely.

"Dude, I feel like we're in a CSI episode," Michelangelo commented.

Leonardo smiled. "Yeah, me too," he agreed. "These prints are wider than the prints from the search team."

"So, creepy kidnapper dude had help?" Michelangelo asked.

"Looks like it," Leonardo answered, getting to his feet. He followed the marks with his flashlight. "The drag marks go off further up the mountain. Let's go."

The brothers followed the tracks up the mountain side. Little did they know, their movements were being tracked. Their tracker sat in a dark room and gazed at a number of computer screens. Some showed the activity of O'Neil and Jones, others showed the actions of Leonardo and Michelangelo, and the rest displayed the fading Raphael and Donatello. Brotherly love was so very touching. Though he couldn't hear what the turtles said, the figure could read their lips. He watched the screen that displayed Leonardo and Michelangelo.

"That's right, Turtles. Follow me into my trap."

The quiet of the room was broken when a door opened. Five tall robed men walked into the room. The man didn't turn around to acknowledge their arrival. He simply kept watching the monitors with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Is everything ready?" he asked.

"Yes, master," the robed figures answered in unison.

"Good. Let Leonardo and Michelangelo get closer. When they do..." The man chuckled evilly. "The fun will really begin."

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><p>Sorry that this chapter was short, the next one will be longer.<p>

Reviews are welcome, flames are not. Let me know whether or not it's worth continuing.


	5. Chapter 5

"The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching eight by eight, the little one stops to shut the gate. And they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain."

Leonardo could only grin as his little brother sang one of his favorite travelling songs. They had been climbing for a good half hour. Michelangelo had reported that they now had seven hours left to find Raphael and Donatello. The smile faded from Leonardo's lips as he looked around at their surroundings. This was all too easy. And when something was easy that meant there was an ambush waiting to happen. He slowed to a stop.

"The ants go marching nine by nine, the little one stops to check the time," Michelangelo sang as he pulled out the shell cell he had confiscated from Leonardo earlier that night. "We still have seven and half hours. We'll have Raph and Don out in plenty of time."

Leonardo held up his hand and his brother stopped walking. "Shh," he whispered.

"What's wrong, Leo?" Michelangelo asked.

"Shh," Leonardo whispered again. "Do you hear that?"

Michelangelo stopped talking and listened. Nothing. There was no sound. No birds, no wind; just silence. Leonardo stepped forward, the crunching snow sounding way too loud. He motioned for Michelangelo to follow him. Obediently, the orange masked turtle did as he was silently told. He quietly took back his earlier statement. Now, that he thought about it, this seemed a bit too easy.

In the dark room, the man motioned for the robed group to move out. The five figures bowed and left the room. Things were about to get interesting.

* * *

><p>Raphael woke up to Donatello quietly singing to himself. He recognized the tune as one of Michelangelo's favorite songs. By the way Donatello was singing, it sounded like he was falling asleep. Raphael couldn't blame him, really. He had lost feeling in his body long ago due to the cold. However, he forced movement back into his left arm and placed his hand on top of Donatello's head.<p>

"You should really get some sleep, Donny," Raphael whispered.

"The little one stops..." Donatello yawned. "To pray to heaven..." He yawned again. "I hate the cold."

A tired smile crossed Raphael's lips. "Yeah," he agreed, his voice no more than a whisper. "Same here."

Donatello yawned again and shifted so that he was pressed up against his brother. "How much longer do we have?"

Raphael awkwardly wrapped his arm around his younger sibling. "Don't know," he replied softly. "But, Leo and Mike will find us. I know they will."

Donatello sighed and closed his eyes. "I shouldn't have burned out the shell cell's power all at once," he said. "We could have called them."

"And what would we say?" Raphael asked.

Donatello was silent for a moment, before he broke himself of sleep and finally replied. "So long? We love you? See you on the other side?"

Raphael grunted as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. "That's the cold talkin'."

The brothers fell silent as they allowed the effects of hibernation take over. Never in their lives had sleep felt so good.

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><p>Casey paced around the living room, his hands clenched behind his back and his temper rising with each step he took. April was sitting at the kitchen counter, typing away on her laptop. Two hours had passed. Raphael and Donatello only had six hours of air left. The contents of the note ran through his mind on repeat. It just made him even more angry. His best friends were buried alive and he couldn't help.<p>

"Did you find out anythin', April?" Casey finally asked.

"As a matter of fact," April started. "I did."

Casey hurried over to her. A number of screens were opened up, but one in particular caught his eye. It was the same symbol that had been on the envelope. A newspaper article was located beneath the symbol. The headline read, "Grim Reaper Claims Fifteenth Victim". Casey shuddered.

"Fifteen? No wonder this guy's called the Grim Reaper," he commented.

"Everything fits," April said. "A sudden disaster, a specific person goes missing, the family is contacted five hours later. Sadly, even though the families try to save their loved ones, they never make it. The bodies are always found where they first disappeared, with the Grim Reaper's symbol burned into their necks."

She trailed off when she heard the back of the chain groan. April turned around to see Casey holding the wooden chair in a death grip.

"You mean, that avalanche...that avalanche was set up? Just to get the guys?" he asked through clenched teeth.

April nodded sullenly. "I'm afraid so," she replied gravely. She turned back to the screen. "It seems that the Grim Reaper does an extended amount of research on his victims and their families before he goes through with the abduction."

"Like the guy said in his letter," Casey pointed out. "'I know who you are and what you're capable of'." He released the chair and took a step back. "I wanna wring this guy's neck."

April smirked. "First you have to pry him out of Leo's hands. He'll want to have a piece of this Grim Reaper guy once Raph and Don are safe."

Casey chuckled. "Yeah," he agreed. His smile dropped as he looked at the Grim Reaper's symbol. _Hang on just a bit longer, guys. Help is on the way._

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><p>Let me know what you think. Reviews are welcome, flames are not.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. Your reviews are truly inspirational and help keep me writing. This is the chapter that reveals just what happened to Donny and Raph after the avalanche.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one

Italics- dream (remember, Raph and Don are currently asleep)

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><p>Four hours. They had been searching for four hours and they didn't even have half the mountain covered. Michelangelo glared down at the shell cell as if it was somehow to blame for this mess. He sank down into the snow and refused to move. Leonardo was searching a cavern a few feet away. There was no way they would find their brothers in time. Michelangelo felt hopeless and helpless; two feelings he hated having. He could hear Leonardo rummaging around in the cave behind him.<p>

"Hey, Mikey. Check this out."

Michelangelo stood up and headed over to where Leonardo was kneeling. The rock was charcoal black, and there was an odd odor in the air. Michelangelo sniffed the air a couple of times.

"I know that smell," he said. "That's the smell that fills the lair whenever one of Donny's inventions blows up."

Leonardo got to his feet. "Mikey, I don't think that avalanche was an act of nature."

"What do you mean, Leo?"

Leonardo shone the flashlight over the charred stone. "These rocks were charred by an explosion, and this cave is a few hundred feet from where the avalanche occurred," he explained. He looked over at his brother. "Mikey, someone set off that avalanche on purpose."

Michelangelo felt his heart plummet. Someone deliberately caused the avalanche so that they could grab Raphael and Donatello? Before he could say anything, Leonardo headed out of the cave. Michelangelo followed silently. This was so not fair. Why was it always them? Why couldn't the world just leave them alone for one weekend? Was that too much to ask? As if to answer him, the ground began to shake. The brothers stopped walking and looked around for the source of the vibration.

Leonardo felt something press against his leg. He jumped back just as a tall, hooded figure burst out of the snow in front of him. He heard Michelangelo's high pitched scream and swung around. Four more hooded figures shot up out of the snow. Just then, the shell cell began to ring. Michelangelo took it out and opened it.

"Did you really think I would make it that simple?" came the deep, haunting voice. "Where would the fun be in that?"

The figures each pulled out a long handled scythe. Leonardo pulled out his katanas and prepared himself for the imminent fight.

"Mikey, find Raph and Don," he ordered.

Michelangelo shot his wide, blue eyes at him. "And leave you here to fight by yourself?"

"They don't have much time left, Mikey," Leonardo pointed out. "Go. I'll be fine."

The five figures rushed forward. Michelangelo ducked out of the circle and ran off. Leonardo jumped out of the way as three of the opponents brought down their weapons. He cursed under his breath. The snow suit was impairing his movements. Clothes were always so restricting. Leonardo brought up his swords to block two scythes. The symbol he had seen on the envelope suddenly flashed in his mind.

_G.R.,_ he thought as he danced around the attackers to avoid getting cut. _G.R. Grim Reaper. Grim Reaper, otherwise known as Death...this guy is twisted. _He sliced at the figures, but they easily dodged. "Does this guy actually think he's Death?" Leonardo muttered under his breath.

Something grabbed his ankle. The turtle looked down to see a bony hand wrap around his other ankle. He yelped when he was suddenly pulled under the snow. White gave way to black as everything went dark.

"For some people," a low, eerie voice whispered in his ear. "I am."

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><p><em>It had been the perfect day for skiing. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, the snow was in perfect condition. He had been in a competition with Raphael to see who could get down the slope the fastest while doing as many tricks as possible.<em>

_"Don't fall and break your neck, Raph," Donatello called after Raphael had barely pulled off a tricky move. "It won't be much fun beating you if you're paralyzed."_

_Raphael turned around and gave him a smirk. "Ya scared that I got better moves than you, Donny-boy?"_

_Donatello snorted. "Better moves? As if. Watch and..." He was cut off by a low rumble. "Learn?" he finished, coming to a stop._

_Raphael skied up to him. "What was that?"_

_Just then, Leonardo and Michelangelo came up beside them. "What was that?" Michelangelo echoed Raphael's earlier question._

_"Avalanche!" someone screamed._

_The brothers swung around to face the top of the mountain. A wave of snow roared towards them. Michelangelo let out a high pitched scream before bolting for the base. Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael were right behind him. Every now and then, Donatello would look over his shoulder to see how close the snow was. It was quickly gaining on them. Leonardo and Michelangelo were way ahead of him and Raphael._

_"Donny!" he heard Raphael yell to him._

_His brother grabbed his arm and pulled him to the ground behind a rock that jutted out of the snow; creating a barrier. Donatello buried his head in his hands as the tidal wave of snow washed over them. Raphael stiffened beside him. After a few seconds, everything went quiet. Donatello opened his eyes and looked around as he took off his skis. Raphael slowly got to his feet and peeked out over the rock. There was no one in sight. Using a nearby tree, Raphael hauled himself up over the rock. After taking off his skis he then reached down and helped Donatello up._

_"We'd better get back to the resort before Leo and Mike start to worry," Raphael said._

_Donatello's eyes widened at something behind his brother. "Uh...Raph?"_

_Raphael turned around to see what had scared his sibling. He froze. Five tall, hooded figures stood before them. Each one held a long handled scythe. The hoods prevented the turtles from seeing their faces, making them even more foreboding. Raphael reached into his snow suit and pulled out his sais. Donatello did the same with his bo staff. He knew they were in trouble. They couldn't fight to their full capacity while they were weighed down by the snow suits._

_"Raph, we can't fight and expect to win," Donatello whispered to his brother. "Our best bet is to make a run for the resort."_

_"And lead these guys...things...whatever, back to the others? April and Casey are back at the resort," Raphael whispered back. "And, I don't think they'd be able to take on these creeps."_

_Donatello looked over his shoulder. He could see the buildings in the distance. He could also see movement at the base of the mountain, and he thought he heard April's voice calling out. Donatello stiffened when he heard her call out Leonardo's and Michelangelo's name._

_"Raph, I think Leo and Mike got caught in the avalanche."_

_Raphael opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when one of the figures swung its scythe at him. He brought up his sais to block the attack. Donatello yelped when the others charged forward. Raphael pushed his opponent back and stepped back towards the trees. He ducked to the side to avoid getting hit. The scythe blade sliced the tree trunk as well the sleeve of his jacket. Raphael looked over to where Donatello was fighting three of the figures. He put his staff up to block a scythe, only to have the blade slice his weapon in half. Donatello stumbled back and fell to the ground._

_"Donny!" Raphael yelled._

_Donatello tried to get up but he was over powered and rendered unconscious in a matter of seconds. Raphael growled and swung his sais at the figures he was fighting. His blades hit tree bark instead of flesh and ended up getting stuck. One of the figures reached down and grabbed his wrists. Before Raphael could retaliate, the figure brought its elbow down on the back of his neck. The turtle went limp in an instant. After picking up the weapons, the five figures headed back towards the top of the mountain, sinking into the snow with each step they took._

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><p><em>A stab of freezing cold jarred Donatello from his sleep. He was lying on his left side. His wrists were bound together in front of him and his ankles were also bound. He looked around. The mountain side had been replaced with what looked like an operating room. However, there was no operating table and the only light that pierced the darkness was one lone light bulb that hung directly over the turtle. Donatello looked down at himself to check for any injuries. His snow suit had been removed, exposing him to the frigid air.<em>

_"Glad to see you're finally awake. I was afraid that my subordinates had killed you prematurely."_

_Donatello looked around for the source of the voice. "Who are you? What do you want? Where's Raph?"_

_"I cannot answer your first two questions, but I can answer the last one," the voice replied. "Your brother is being prepped."_

_"Prepped? For what?" Donatello asked._

_"You will soon find out," the eerie voice replied. "And do not worry about your other brothers. I made sure they made it out alive. There would not be much point in this if all four of you were dead."_

_Donatello began fighting against the ropes that bound his wrists. He had to get out of this place. He had to find Raphael. Just then, the door opened and someone came into the room. Donatello instantly recognized the tall hooded figures from before, but the smaller figure they held between them didn't look familiar. Donatello's eyes widened when Raphael was pushed into the light. He stumbled and collapsed to the stone floor. His upper body was covered in cuts and bruises. His right leg was bent at an awkward angle and Donatello determined that his leg was broken. A deep gash ran down the side of Raphael's left thigh._

_"What did you do to my brother?" Donatello cried._

_"He fought back," was the answer. "Hopefully, you will have more sense not to resist."_

_The two figures reached down and pulled Donatello to his feet. Immediately, he began to fight back. He wouldn't go down without a fight. It was a trait he shared with all of his brothers. None of them would die a senseless death._

_"Let me go!" Donatello roared. "Let me go!"_

_Slolwy, and out of complete frustration, one of his captors held up its scythe and brought it down. Everything vanished in a sea of black._

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><p>Let me know what you think. Reviews are welcome, flames are not.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Michelangelo trudged through the knee deep snow. He didn't know how long he had been running, nor did he know how much time his brothers had left. He had lost the shell cell somewhere in his desperate retreat. A pang of guilt stabbed at his heart. Orders or not, he should have stayed and helped Leonardo. But, he couldn't just leave Raphael and Donatello to die. It was like a silent promise. None of them would die a senseless death.

Pushing back his feelings of guilt, Michelangelo continued his trek. The last time he had checked the count down, there were two hours left. He looked around the snow covered landscape. It was still dark and he could hardly see.

_I haven't even met this kidnapper dude and I hate him already,_ the turtle thought bitterly.

He would've chosen Shredder and the Foot any day over whoever it was that took his brothers. Michelangelo waded through the snow, slowly inching forward. To keep his mind off the cold and to keep himself from falling into despair, he began singing his favorite songs. They were mostly theme songs from his favorite television shows. He violently shivered as the wind swept over him. Shaking his head and refocusing, Michelangelo kept walking.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree," he sang. "Eating all the gum drops he can see." Another rush of wind, another violent shiver, one foot in front of the other. "Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra, leave some there for me."

The wind began to grow stronger and colder. It washed over the dunes and slapped the snow in Michelangelo's face. He ducked his head to keep his face from being pelted. He wished April or Casey was with him. He wished Leonardo was still beside him. Most of all, he wished he was sitting around the fire with all of his brothers, along with April and Casey, roasting marshmallows and telling funny stories. He wanted to hear Raphael yell at him for pulling another stupid prank. He wanted to hear Donatello chastise him for breaking his gaming system. Instead, all he heard was the roar of the wind in his hears.

"The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, the little one stops to suck his thumb. And they all go marching down to the ground, to get out of the rain." Michelangelo bit back a frustrated scream. "Raph, Don. Raph, Don," he began repeating to himself.

As he said his brother's names he began to quicken his pace. His brothers needed him. Their names became a chant, fueling his steps, forcing him forward. He wouldn't leave them to die. He wouldn't leave them to freeze to death. Most of all, he wouldn't let them die alone. Too many times Michelangelo had to watch as one of his siblings hung on to life by a thread. He had made a promise to himself a long time ago that he wouldn't let one of his brothers die without him. If one turtle went down, they all went down. That was their vow to each other.

Michelangelo stumbled as the violent wind slammed against his body. His knees buckled, but he caught himself before he fell. He continued to chant Raphael's and Donatello's name in his mind. He had to find them and get them to safety. Then, he had to find and rescue Leonardo. Michelangelo pushed his bitterness towards the world to the back of his mind and repeated his chant. Hopefully, his blue masked brother would already be safe by the time they reunited.

* * *

><p>The silence was broken by a rusty squeal. A door opened and two hooded figures stepped inside the small cell. They threw a struggling Leonardo into the room. The turtle stumbled forward before tripping up in his own feet and falling to the cold, stone floor. The figures left the room and closed and locked the door. Leonardo pushed himself up and shivered. He no longer wore the snow suit, and now he realised how much he missed it.<p>

Leonardo pushed himself up and looked around. The room was dimly lit, so it was difficult to pick out any distinguishable features. The room was made of stone, that's all Leonardo could determine. He groaned and rubbed his right shoulder. His was unarmed and slightly injured; not a combination he liked. His legs throbbed and his neck was stiff, no doubt caused by the sudden drop through the snow. Regardless of his aching legs, Leonardo got to his feet and roamed around the room. As he neared the back of the cell, he hit his knee against another stone object. Biting his tongue to keep from cursing, Leonardo grasped his knee and looked down. His eyes widened and he gasped.

He had collided with a stone coffin. Though the discovery of the coffin made Leonardo's heart skip a beat, it was the amount of blood inside that made his heart plummet. Leonardo thought back to the phone call. Donatello had sounded fine, scared and shaken, but fine. Raphael on the other hand had sounded winded and in extreme pain. The blue masked turtle put a hand to his head. The blood belonged to Raphael. His hot-headed brother was buried alive and bleeding to death.

"What happened for Raph to lose this much blood?" Leonardo whispered.

The door opened again and someone came into the room. The turtle swung around and instantly got into a defensive position. A young man in his early twenties stepped into the light. He had light brown hair and light brown eyes. He wore a black sweater, dark blue jeans and a pair of snow boots.

"Who are you?" Leonardo demanded.

"You wanted to know what happened for Raphael to lose so much blood?" the man asked, ignoring the question.

The turtle stiffened. Something wasn't right with this guy. The human walked over and placed a hand on the edge of the coffin. He didn't look at all disturbed by the amount of blood inside.

"What happened was, Raphael fought back," the man replied casually. "I warned him of what would happen if he resisted. Sadly, he ignored my warning and ended up getting cut."

"Cut?" Leonardo spat. "You did more than just cut him."

The man straightened and put his hands behind his back. He looked towards the ceiling, his eyes thoughtful. "I wonder if the gash was as deep as it sounded over the microphone," he wondered out loud.

"You're sick and twisted," Leonardo shouted. "Where are my brothers?"

The human looked from the stone coffin to the turtle beside him. An evil grin crossed his young, handsome face. "Don't worry, Blue," he said as two hooded figures suddenly came out of nowhere and grabbed Leonardo's arms. "You'll soon find out."

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><p>Let me know what you think. Reviews are welcome, flames are not.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

They were going against the rules. If the G.R. person found out they had gone to the police, Raphael and Donatello were as good as dead. However, as Casey stared at the clock, he really didn't care. The brothers only had a half hour of air left. Never before in his life had he prayed and hoped as hard as he had in the last fourteen hours. Michelangelo and Leonardo just had to find Donatello and Raphael; they just had to.

Tearing his eyes from the clock, Casey began to pace. After they had found out about the Grim Reaper, April wasted no time in calling the authorities. When the police had arrived, April explained everything to the officers. After they had been told the details, another search team was sent out. Hopefully, along the way, someone discovered where Raphael and Donatello were buried. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Casey gripped his hair and pulled.

Just then, April came into the room. Casey looked over at her and noticed that she held the tracker in her hands. He walked over and looked at the screen. A green dot flashed on the screen. The humans looked at each other.

"You don't think," April began.

She never got an answer. Casey was out the door with his gear on in a split second. Grabbing her coat, April ran after him. She looked down at the tracker.

_Please, let it be them,_ she silently prayed. _Let it be Raph and Donny._

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><p>Leonardo was jarred from unconsciousness when a sharp pain shot through his shoulders. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was on his knees, and his wrists were tied to two poles on either side of him. A pained moan escaped him. He was dizzy and his head was pounding.<p>

"Oh, good. You're awake. I was afraid my subordinates had killed you prematurely." The young man from earlier stepped into the dim light. "You hold no value to me if you're already dead, so I have to keep you alive as long as possible."

Leonardo tugged against the restrains. "Why are you doing this?" he asked. "What could you possibly gain from torturing innocent people?"

The man placed the blade of one of Leonardo's swords on his shoulder. He slid the blade across the turtle's collar bone and stopped at his throat.

"It's difficult to explain what I gain from doing what I do," the human replied. "But, I do enjoy watching you and your brothers squirm."

"Seems like a lot of psycho humans like seeing us squirm," Leonardo spat.

"Too true," the man agreed. "You turtles are fascinating creatures. I have high expectations for Red and Purple. Or, is it Raphael and Donatello? I'm bad with names, sometimes. Anyway, as I was saying, I have high expectations for them. With them being ninjas and all that, there is no doubt in my mind that they have some clever plan to conserve air."

Leonardo bit his tongue. Was this guy for real? The man tapped the katana on Leonardo's shoulder a couple of times before pulling it back. He walked over to a small fire pit. After laying the sword down, he picked up a long prod. Leonardo's eyes widened. The brand on the end of the prod was the same symbol that had been on the envelope.

"No doubt O'Neil and Jones have already discovered the origin of my symbol," the man said as he placed the prod into the fire and began fanning the flames. "And, since they found out about the symbol, they have probably informed the police." The fire cracked and popped, sending white hot embers into the air. "But, rest assured, my blue masked friend, we are safe down here."

He pulled the prod out of the fire, the metal glowing red hot. Leonardo felt his heart pound against his chest. He knew what was about to happen and he didn't like it. His attempts to break free became more desperate as the human walked towards him. The man walked behind the struggling turtle, placed a hand on the back of his head and forced his head forward, exposing his neck. Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut as he felt excruciating heat against his skin.

* * *

><p>The world had become a dizzy spin of pain and misery. He would have succumbed to the cold and lack of air hours ago if it hadn't been for the dull throbbing in his legs. It was like his body was refusing to let him fall asleep and die by bringing back some sort of feeling into his limbs.<p>

Raphael groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed, besides his throbbing legs, was the stale air. He looked down to where he knew Donatello was still pressed against him. His brother's chest slowly rose and fell, his breathing shallow and labored.

_That's it,_ Raphael thought grimly. _We've run out of time._ He reached up and placed a hand on the stone above him. _Leo...Mike...it was an honor bein' your brother. April...Casey...it was both an honor...and privilage to know ya. And, sensei... _Raphael closed his eyes as they began to burn._ I'm sorry I wasn't a better student. You're the best father a turtle could ask for._

His arm fell to his chest and his head tilted to the side, coming to rest beside Donatello's head. Tears silently ran down his still face.

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><p>He hated the snow. It was cold, it was deep, and most of all it had his brothers. Michelangelo glanced up, only to have snow slam into his face. Every nasty thought and silent curse that crossed his mind, the turtle mentally threw it at the mountain side.<p>

"Stop it, Mikey," Michelangelo snapped at himself. "Bitterness doesn't work for ya."

The wind howled and collided with his body, finally sending the ninja to the ground. Michelangelo moaned and was just pushing himself up when he heard the snow crunch behind him. Seconds later, a strong arm hooked under his and pulled him to his feet.

"Are you Michelangelo?"

Michelangelo looked up into the face of a police officer. "Y-yes, sir," he stammered, noticing several more men run up.

"Your friends April O'Neil and Casey Jones told us that you and your brother were out here," the officer yelled over the wind.

Michelangelo nodded, thankful that his snow suit and hood kept his appearance hidden. "Our brothers Raphael and Donatello were kidnapped and buried alive somewhere out here."

The man looked around. He sniffed the air, frowned, then sniffed again. "Do you smell that?" he asked.

Michelangelo took a few shorts whiffs of air. There was an odd odor on the wind. "Is that gas?"

"It's coming from the Northeast," another man announced.

The officers and Michelangelo ran off in the direction the scent was coming from.

"Spread out and search," the man that had aided Michelangelo ordered.

The group split up and began to look around. Michelangelo frantically searched the snow. The scent of gas was heavy in the air. Someone had been here recently. Not paying attention to where he was putting his feet, Michelangelo tripped over a hard object buried in the snow and fell over. He pushed himself up and turned around to see what he had tripped over. He began digging. Soon, he could see some kind of stone poking up out of the snow.

"Over here!" he yelled.

As the officers ran over to help, Michelangelo's digging became more frantic. His brothes were so close. They were right below him.

_Please, don't let me be too late._

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><p>Reviews are welcome, flames are not. Let me know what you think.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

With the help of the officers, the snow had been pushed off of the stone lid. Michelangelo took several deep breaths to try to calm himself down. He was anxious, scared and excited all at the same time. Raphael and Donatello were almost free. The leader of the officers yelled out orders, but Michelangelo didn't pay attention.

"Hang on, bros," he whispered. "You'll be out of there soon."

The men gathered around the lid and grabbed a hold of it. They were about to lift it when the ground rumbled. They looked around and at each other. Michelangelo whipped out his nunchucks and swung around, slamming his weapons into the face of one of the hooded figures that had attacked him and Leonardo earlier. The entity fell to the ground, unconscious. Four more hooded entities rose from the snow, each one taking out a long handled scythe. With adrenaline fueling his attacks, Michelangelo jumped into battle.

"Get them out!" he yelled over the wind.

As Michelangelo fought, the men strained to lift the lid off the stone coffin. Michelangelo looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of a red mask. He heard a few confused gasps, but didn't have time to worry about it. He ducked to avoid being decapitated, then jumped and kicked the entity he was fighting in the chest. He brought a nunchuck down on the figure's head, rendering it unconscious. He then turned to see where the other three had went. He let out a cry when he saw the figures throw the humans to the side before reaching into the coffin.

Michelangelo charged and dove forward. He collided with two of the figures, sending all three of them to the ground. The third entity came up and grabbed the back of Michelangelo's jacket. It picked him up and tossed him into the coffin on top of Raphael and Donatello. His brothers didn't move or make any sound. Michelangelo pushed himself into a sitting position and looked at his older siblings. Donatello was huddled against Raphael's side. Raphael had his left arm around Donatello in a protecting embrace, his head was tilted to the right, resting against the top of Donatello's head. They looked so peaceful it was scary.

A gun shot quickly snapped him back to reality. Michelangelo looked up to see the third entity stumble back. Sparks flew from a gun shot wound in its chest. Getting to his feet and trying not to step on his brothers, Michelangelo scrambled out of the coffin. The figures he had knocked out were getting back to their feet. Growling, Michelangelo looked from one entity to another. His eyes went back to the sparking figure. An idea struck him.

"Officer, tell your men to open fire," Michelangelo called to the leader.

The lead officer nodded and pulled out his gun. "Men, open fire!" he yelled.

Michelangelo dove back into the coffin and shielded his brothers as gun shots rang out. After a few seconds, everything went silent. The turtle got up and looked around. All five figures were now sparking. Jumping out of the coffin and spinning his nunchucks, Michelangelo charged for the closest figure. He struck it where it had been shot. Not waiting to see the ending results, he turned to the next one. Soon, all five entities were on the ground, sparks flying from their bodies. Michelangelo watched as they finally stopped sparking and twitching. Panting for breath, he put his nunchucks in his jacket pocket and headed back to his brothers.

"Michelangelo?" the lead officer said.

"It's best if you forget what you saw," Michelangelo told him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and in the beginning of the sunrise, could see the man above him smile.

"I think it's a bit hard to forget seeing giant turtles. And, though I am confused about your appearance, I have been trained to serve and protect the citizens of this fair country. Your brothers need medical attention, Michelangelo. Once they're taken care of, well...maybe then we can talk about the memory loss thing," the man joked.

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><p>The tracker had led the group to a cave that was hidden on the opposite side of the mountain near the base. With the police and S.W.A.T team in front of them, April and Casey made the trek through the cave. Near the back, there was a trap door. One of the S.W.A.T. members bent down and opened the hatch. After the door was open, the team headed down the winding staircase. They were followed by the police and then April and Casey.<p>

When they got to the bottom, the group found themselves in a long hallway. At the far right end, a light flickered. The group headed towards the light. April gripped the back of Casey's jacket. The hall suddenly echoed with a loud bang. The S.W.A.T. team rushed towards where the bang had originated. At the end of the hallway a door opened up into a medium sized room. A young man was just closing what looked like a stone coffin. The two inforcment groups charged in, their weapons pointed at the man.

"Freeze!" one of the police officers yelled.

The man stiffened. "I wasn't expecting company," he said. "If I had known you were coming I would have cleaned up."

"Put your hands behind your head and turn around," one of the S.W.A.T. members ordered.

The man began to slowly put his hands up, but pulled out a gun. However, before he could turn around and shoot, something hit his hand, knocking the gun to the floor. That something then knocked him to the floor. The police and S.W.A.T. team immediately pointed their guns at the man. He looked up and saw Casey walk out of the shadows.

"How?"

"I hang out with ninjas, dude," Casey said. "You don't hang out with ninjas and not pick up a trick or two."

The man was pulled to his feet and dragged out of the room. April and Casey headed for the coffin as the inforcement groups went to search the rest of the compound. With great difficulty, Casey managed to push the lid off.

"Leo," April exclaimed.

Casey reached in and pulled Leonardo out the stone box. He swung the turtle's arms around his neck and picked up his legs, carrying him in a messy bridal position. Casey stumbled back and knelt down, carefully placing Leonardo on the ground. The turtle moaned in pain. April knelt down and began checking her friend for injuries. His body was covered in lacerations. April tilted Leonardo's head to the side.

"Uh no," she whispered.

"What is it, April?"

"Look at his neck, Casey."

Casey shifted Leonardo into a sitting position and looked at his friend's neck. The same symbol as before was burned into Leonardo's skin. Casey growled, but kept his anger under control. They had one of four turtles and no time left. Donatello and Raphael had run out of air. Casey hoped that Michelangelo had found them in time. Just then, one of the police officers ran into the room. April and Casey shifted to hide Leonardo.

"No need to hide him," the officer replied. "I already know. My team found your missing friends."

Something in the man's voice set April and Casey on edge. Leonardo stirred and moaned.

"Where...are my...brothes?" he groaned.

"Take it easy, Leo," Casey told him.

April looked from Leonardo to the officer. "How many have seen them?" she asked.

"Just my team, ma'am," the officer answered. "There are only six of us, and we are willing to forget ever seeing your friends if it will help keep their existance secret."

"You saw giant turtles and you didn't freak out?" Casey asked.

The officer walked over to him and knelt down. He looked down at the turtle in Jones' arms. "We were surprised, but that's expected. It's not every day you see a human sized turtle."

"So, where are Raph, Don and Mike?" April wanted to know.

The officer looked at her. "In the robotics lab, at the end of the hall. After we got your friends out of the coffin we found a cave a few feet away. We followed it and it led us to this base. We had just set them on the beds when we heard a commotion."

Footsteps echoed down the hall and entered the room. The humans looked towards the door. Michelangelo stood in the doorway, panting for breath.

"Leo!" he cried, rushing forward. He dropped to his knees by his brother's head. "Leo? You awake, bro?"

Leonardo's eyes flickered open and he groaned. "Mi-Mikey?" he stammered. "Did...did you find them?"

Michelange nodded. However, something in his eyes made Leonardo frown. His brother's blue eyes were glistening with built up tears. Michelangelo sniffed and quickly wiped away the tears that were threatening to spill.

"Mikey," Leonardo whispered. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Michelangelo sniffed again, and this time he didn't try to stop the tears from running down his cheeks. "I was too late," he whimpered. "I didn't get to them in time." The floodgates broke and Michelangelo broke down. "We ran out of time," he sobbed.

April hurried over to her friend and pulled him into a comforting hug. Michelangelo buried his face in her jacket and cried. Mustering what strength he had left, Leonardo sat up and turned to face his brother. He didn't want to believe that they were too late in saving Donatello and Raphael. But, as he watched Michelangelo cry into April's jacket, Leonardo felt his heart grow heavy. He closed his eyes and hung his head. So many times they had cheated Death; had come so close to drawing their last breaths. It seemed Death had grown tired of their constant game of "Keep Away" with their lives and had finally decided to play dirty. Death, Leonardo determined, was just like any other monster him and his brothers had faced...and he hated it most of all.

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><p>Let me know what you think.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. Your reviews are greatly appreciated.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one

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><p>The base's robotics lab had been converted into a temporary infirmary. The tables had been made into beds, which now held two unconscious turtles and two lifeless ones. After making sure that no one would walk in on the brothers, April and Casey went to find the inforcement groups. They found them in a makeshift interrogation room. The leader of the police group walked over to them and stopped them from going any further into the room.<p>

"So, who's the guy whose neck I get to wring?" Casey asked in a low voice.

"Casey," April hissed at him.

Casey growled and clenched his fists. April sighed sadly. She couldn't really blame him. A part of her wanted to hit the guy so hard he would be unconscious for a month; however, another part of her wanted to curl up into a corner and cry until there were no more tears to shed.

"Who is he?" April asked, her voice low.

"Derek Alfredson," the officer began. "Age twenty-one. He disappeared five months ago and no one has heard from him since."

Casey cracked his knuckles. "So, when did he start kidnappin' people and burin' them alive?" he quizzed.

The officer took a deep breath before speaking. "When he was sixteen he was kidnapped and buried alive. His family had eight hours to find him before he ran out of air."

"Sounds familiar," April muttered bitterly.

The officer nodded. "They barely made it. Time had just run out when they found him. According to his family, his mental health went downhill from there." The man rolled his shoulders and took another deep breath. "He became obessessed with death. He got a part time job working in a funeral home. He never had a criminal record, so we didn't know who to look for."

"You couldn't have asked the nut job's family?" Casey asked.

"The entire family vanished the same time Derek did," the officer answered. "We've never found them."

There was the rattle of chains as Derek shifted in his seat. The men around him kept their guns aimed at him. A twisted smirk crossed the young man's face.

"How are my reptilian friends doing, Miss O'Neil?" Derek asked. "And, how is Blue, Mr. Jones? I trust he was still breathing when you pulled him out of that coffin?"

April grabbed Casey's arm to stop him from charging over. Derek laughed. Casey growled, pulled his arm out of April's grip and stormed out of the room.

"I told you my life's story, officer. How about letting me go?" Derek asked.

"The only place you're going is where it's mandatory to wear a straight jacket," the lead officer told him.

He headed out of the room. April and Casey were standing just outside the door. The three humans met each other's gaze for a while before the officer walked away. O'Neil and Jones heard Derek laugh again.

"I've won," he declared. "Even if only one turtle dies, Death is still triumphant."

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><p>When April and Casey got back to the infirmary, they found Michelangelo sitting beside Raphael's bed, his brother's hand clenched in his own and sound asleep. Leonardo kept a vigilant watch over Donatello. The blue masked turtle looked up, his chocolate brown eyes were swimiming with tears.<p>

"Please tell me that monster will pay," he whispered.

"He ain't gettin' out for a long time," Casey assured his friend.

Leonardo nodded and returned his gaze to Donatello's still form. He willed his brother to start breathing. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if his brothers didn't pull through. The guilt of knowing that they allowed Raphael and Donatello to fade away would eat at him from the inside out. Behind him, Michelangelo snorted and shifted into a more comfortable position. He never let go of Raphael's hand.

"Leo, Raph's being an idiot again," he mumbled in his sleep.

April, Leonardo, and Casey smiled. The humans went over to the spare chairs and sat down. The last thing Derek had said played over in April's mind. He had said if at least one turtle died. Was there a chance that Raphael and Donatello were still alive? April looked over at Raphael. His left leg had been bandaged and his right leg was in a makeshift splint. His upper body was also covered in bandages. Donatello was in the same condition, only his legs hadn't been injured.

Leonardo gently placed a hand on Donatello's chest. He frowned. He leaned forward in his chair, pressing harder against his brother's chest. A small gasp escaped him and his eyes widened. Noticing Leonardo's reaction, Casey and April went to see what was happening. The blue masked turtle laughed triumphantly as he felt Donatello's chest begin to rise and fall. The steady beating of his brother's heart pounded against Leonardo's hand.

"He's alive," the leader exclaimed. "Donny's breathing."

Michelangelo moaned in his sleep. His hand twitched, causing him to grimace. The youngest brother slowly opened his eyes and yawned. He tried to raise his hand, but Raphael's fingers had tightened around it. Michelangelo placed his free hand against Raphael's wrist and began to push.

"Come on, Raphie, this isn't funny. Let go."

Casey went over to his red masked crime fighting pal and placed a hand on his chest. A slow, but steady heart beat greeted him. Casey laughed. What were they so worried about? The guys were ninjas. It was obvious that they would do something to save oxygen.

"Raph, ya bonehead," Casey muttered.

"You're...the bonehead," Raphael whispered.

Leonardo sat as still as he could as he watched Donatello begin to stir. His light brown eyes flickered open and looked around. The stone box had been replaced by a medium sized room, the cold was replaced by warmth, and the dark was replaced by light and his family. Donatello turned his head and looked up into the dark brown eyes of his eldest brother. Leonardo's mask was a darker shade of blue due to the tears that were streaming down his face.

"Hey, Donny," Leonardo greeted.

Donatello smiled weakly. "You have...no idea...how good...your voice sounds," he whispered.

Leonardo couldn't help but laugh. He wiped the tears away from his eyes, took Donatello's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He heard Raphael grunt and turned around. The red masked brother was trying to free himself of Michelangelo's death grip hug. Finally, Casey managed to pull the youngest off of Raphael. April took Donatello's other hand and brought it to her lips. Donatello chuckled and gently brushed the tears away from her eyes.

"You'd think we just came back from the dead," he joked.

"Mikey, let go. You're cutting off the circulation in my arm," Raphael said.

Michelangelo loosened his grip on his brother's arm, but didn't let go. He was afraid that this was all just a dream and that he would wake up if he let go of his brother's arm. It was going to be a while before life returned to normal. But, one thing was certain; they wouldn't be seeing the Grim Reaper again for a very long time.

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><p>Did you really think I would kill off my two fave turtles? I don't have the heart nor the guts to do such a thing.<p>

Let me know what you think. Reviews are welcome, flames are not


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**: This is the final chapter. It's been fun. I'm glad you all enjoyed it.

**Disclaimer**: see chapter one

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><p><em>It was the cold that woke him from his sleep. The cold, and the loneliness. Everything was silent, nothing moved. The world around him was pitch dark. Eyes growing wide, Donatello shot up, only to hit his head on a hard surface. Reaching up, the texture of stone met his skin. Panic shot up in his chest and he began to lash out.<em>

_"Let me out!" he yelled. "Leo! Raph! Mikey! Anyone!"_

_He reached out to his sides, the same stone meeting him. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be. The Grim Reaper had been locked up for the past four weeks._

_"Donatello," came a voice. "Donatello."_

_The purple masked turtle began to fight against the prison even harder. He lashed out to his left, his fist coming into contact with something other than stone. __Suddenly, that something grabbed his wrists and pulled them back down._

_"Donatello," the voice said more sternly._

_"Let me go!" Donatello screamed_.

"Donny!"

Donatello's eyes shot open. Blue shot across his vision. Leonardo looked down at him with a worried expression. Gasping for breath, Donatello looked around. He was in Leonardo's room, not in the stone coffin. Leonardo eased up on his brother's hands. His head still pounded from the hit Donatello had dealt to his left temple.

"Are you awake?" he asked.

Donatello nodded and Leonardo released his brother, sitting back on the bed. That had been the fifth nightmare that night, each one just as violent as the last. Donatello lay still, concentrating on his breathing. Everytime it was the same thing. No matter how hard he tried to push it from his mind, being buried alive had taken more of a toll on him than Donatello would have liked to admit. At least he was doing better than Raphael. His legs were still healing and Splinter had forbidden him from any kind of training. He had suffered an infection from the gash on his left leg and his right leg still wasn't healing properly. Donatello had to rebreak his brother's leg to get the bones back into their proper places. And, on top of the nightmares he suffered, Raphael was one sick turtle.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Leonardo spoke softly.

"You don't have enough pennies for my thoughts," Donatello replied.

Leonardo chuckled. "Do you want to talk, anyway?" he asked.

Donatello closed his eyes again. "You can do the talking," he replied.

Leonardo smiled slightly. He still wasn't used to one of his brothers telling him that it was good to hear him talk. Usually, they were always telling him to _stop_ talking. During the first couple of weeks after the Grim Reaper incident, Michelangelo had come up to the blue masked leader with a perplexed look on his face. When Leonardo asked if something was wrong, Michelangelo told him that Raphael had asked him to say something.

"You still there, Leo?" Donatello asked, panic rising in his voice.

"I'm here, Donny," Leonardo answered. "Your thinking is contagious."

Donatello laughed. Leonardo's smile widened. He shifted and lay back down beside his brother. He had gotten used to sharing a bed extremely fast since Donatello refused to sleep alone. Raphael shared Michelangelo's room, on strict orders from April, Donatello and Leatherhead to not sleep in his hammock while his legs were healing. Michelangelo didn't mind, he rather enjoyed it. He said it reminded him of when they used to share a room when they were kids.

Leonardo was brought out of his thoughts again when Donatello touched his arm. The eldest reached up and took his brother's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Donatello rolled over on to his side and pressed up against Leonardo. He closed his eyes as his brother put an arm around his shoulders.

"Try to get some sleep, Donny," Leonardo whispered. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Thanks, Leo," Donatello breathed before he slipped back into a deep sleep.

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><p>A large crowd had gathered outside the courthouse, waiting for the doors to open. They wanted to get a good seat for the upcoming trial. It was the trial they had all been waiting for. Finally, after five months of living in terror, the Grim Reaper killer was being brought to justice.<p>

The doors finally opened and the crowd hurried inside. Meanwhile, a group of police cars pulled up to the back entrance of the courthouse. Two officers got out and went to the back of an armored truck. They opened the back doors and helped a chained Derek out of the back and escourted him into the courthouse.

"Orange looks good on 'im," Raphael grumbled as the brothers watched the scene unfold on the news.

He put his hand over his bandaged left thigh. His right leg was encased in a thick cast. Raphael felt Donatello tense beside him as Derek turned to look at the camera. Instinctively, Raphael put his right arm around his brother's shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye, the red masked turtle saw Leonardo lightly touch the back of his neck. This was the day they had anticipated ever since they got back to New York. The brothers had lived in anxiety; waiting to hear the sentence of the person who had nearly killed them.

"This is taking too long," Michelangelo whined as the trial dragged on.

"It's procedure, Mikey," Donatello answered.

A smile crossed Michelangelo's lips. Raphael glanced over at him and upon seeing the smile, frowned.

"What's so funny, Mike?" the hot-head asked.

Michelangelo leaned forward, his arms dangling between his knees. He tapped his fingers together, the smile still on his face. "We're still together," he said softly.

The three older turtles all turned their full attention to their baby brother, the news report currently forgotten.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden, Mikey?" Donatello asked.

Michelangelo's smile faded as his eyes drifted to the floor. "When I was looking for you and Raph...I kept thinking about...about what I wanted more than anything."

"Mikey," Leonardo began.

Raphael held up a hand, silencing the eldest. "Let 'im finish, Leo."

Michelangelo took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "I wanted to hear Raph yell at me for pulling a stupid prank," he said, talking more to himself than his brothers. "I wanted to hear Donny scold me for breaking my gaming system." By now tears were beginning to run down his cheeks. "And I wanted to hear Leo lecture me about goofing off in training." He sniffed and tried to wipe the tears away, but they kept falling. "At one point I had lost hope of ever finding you. I thought I was going to be the only one left."

Raphael reached over and pulled Michelangelo into a tight hug. Michelangelo buried his face in his brother's shoulder and broke down. Raphael rubbed his back, but remained silent. He let his baby brother cry into his shoulder. The tears made dull thumps as they hit the cast on his right leg. Raphael glanced over at Donatello and Leonardo. Both of them had tears in their eyes, however Leonardo was the only one who managed to keep them from falling.

"You saved us, Mikey," Raphael whispered in his brother's ear. "You saved us."

Michelangelo gripped the edge of Raphael's shell. "No," he sobbed. "I ran out of time."

Raphael smiled. "Bonehead," he muttered, causing Michelangelo to frown. "Did you forget that we're ninjas, Mikey? Yes, you ran out of time, but you should know me and Don by now to know that we would do something to conserve our air until you got us out."

"But...but..." Michelangelo stammered. "You didn't have a heartbeat. I checked."

Donatello placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Mikey, you know the pulse dims when you slow your heart down to conserve oxygen," he explained.

"And on top of hibernation," Raphael added.

"I thought you were dead," Michelangelo sobbed. "I thought you were dead." He pushed himself further into Raphael's arms. "There was so much blood in that coffin...I thought you had bled out."

Leonardo shuddered as he remembered the amount of blood he had found in the second coffin at the base. He determined that Raphael had been placed inside to see if the box was big enough, and in the process ended up getting his leg sliced.

"I'm sorry for scarin' ya, bro," Raphael apologized. "But, everythin's fine now. We're back as a family and the nutcase who tried to tear us apart is..."

"Guilty," came the announcement over the T.V.

The brothers turned back to the news in time to see the crowd cheer. Leonardo narrowed his eyes when he saw the calm expression on Derek's face. The camera zoomed in on the human. He looked up and gazed right into the lense. The four brothers stiffened. It was as if he knew he was looking right at them.

"Don't worry, my shadow hugging friends, our paths will cross again someday."

Two police officers walked up and escorted Derek to the door. The camera followed the procession all the way out to the armored truck. Before getting inside, Derek turned and faced the camera once more.

"Enjoy the shadows while you can," he said. "They won't always be your allies. You cannot elude Death forever."

Donatello turned off the T.V. and the screen went black. The brothers were silent; Derek's words sinking into their thoughts.

"Good riddance," Leonardo whispered.

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><p>That's all she wrote. It's been fun, and I'm sad to see this story come to an end. Let me know what you think. Also, if anyone can see me pulling off a sequal to this (I have one in mind), please let me know.<p>

Reviews are welcome, flames are not.


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